Sonari Glintonhttp://mtpr.org
enConcept Cars, Once Outlandish, Now Vital To Auto Industry's Futurehttp://mtpr.org/post/concept-cars-once-outlandish-now-vital-auto-industrys-future
Concept cars tell us much more about the current state of the auto industry than the future of it.<p>Showcasing the latest in styling and technology, concept cars have been virtually absent from auto shows for the past few years, but now they're back with a vengeance.<p>The concept cars at the Detroit auto show this year look pretty normal, but Bill Visnic of Edmunds.com says it wasn't that long ago that concept cars were just plain wack.<p>"But some of the really wildest of the wild that I remember back then was <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-01-25/travel/9801250411_1_bencheFri, 16 Jan 2015 21:26:00 +0000Sonari Glinton29695 at http://mtpr.orgConcept Cars, Once Outlandish, Now Vital To Auto Industry's FutureLow Gas Prices Give SUV Sales A Boost, But Automakers Take Long Viewhttp://mtpr.org/post/car-sales-surged-december-capping-good-year-industry
Sales of cars surged in December, and analysts believe that the year's total will exceed 17 million, making it the fifth straight year of growth for the industry.<p>Cheap gas prices helped make that happen, as sales of trucks, SUVs and luxury vehicles rose rapidly. Jeep's sales, for instance, were up 40 percent on increased consumer demand for crossover SUVs.Mon, 05 Jan 2015 22:17:00 +0000Sonari Glinton29146 at http://mtpr.orgLow Gas Prices Give SUV Sales A Boost, But Automakers Take Long ViewMassive Recalls Give The Auto Industry An Unwanted Recordhttp://mtpr.org/post/massive-recalls-give-auto-industry-unwanted-record
More than 60 million cars, trucks and SUVs have been recalled this year — nearly twice the previous record. That translates to nearly 1 out of every 4 cars on the road recalled for a safety-related defect.<p>But analysts say those recalls say more about the way the industry has restructured than about overall car safety.<p>When it comes to recalls, none of the major carmakers was spared.Mon, 29 Dec 2014 20:58:00 +0000Sonari Glinton28899 at http://mtpr.orgMassive Recalls Give The Auto Industry An Unwanted RecordFor Best-Selling Truck, Ford Bets Big On Aluminumhttp://mtpr.org/post/best-selling-truck-ford-bets-big-aluminum
The first 2015 Ford F-150 rolled off the assembly line this week, and it is no normal truck. The new F-150 pickup is the first with an aluminum body, making it hundreds of pounds lighter than its predecessors.<p>Ford isn't taking this gamble on just any truck — the F-150 is the company's most important vehicle.Sat, 15 Nov 2014 21:29:00 +0000Sonari Glinton27318 at http://mtpr.orgFor Best-Selling Truck, Ford Bets Big On AluminumBeyond The Unemployment Rate: Look At These 5 Labor Indicatorshttp://mtpr.org/post/beyond-unemployment-rate-look-these-5-labor-indicators
The unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since July 2008 — <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/11/07/362246455/economy-continues-adding-jobs-unemployment-rate-dips-to-5-8-percent">to 5.8 percent</a> — the Labor Department said Friday. And October marks the ninth month in a row that job growth has exceeded 200,000.<p>But if you ask Americans about the economy, they're still mostly not impressed.<p>The headline unemployment rate and payroll numbers are just one piece of the labor picture.Fri, 07 Nov 2014 23:30:00 +0000Sonari Glinton26980 at http://mtpr.orgBeyond The Unemployment Rate: Look At These 5 Labor IndicatorsNo Quick Fixes For Drivers Affected By Air Bag Recall http://mtpr.org/post/no-quick-fixes-drivers-affected-air-bag-recall
Most auto recalls usually involve one carmaker at a time, but a massive recall this week <a href="http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/Vehicle-owners-with-defective-airbags-urged-to-take-immediate-action" target="_blank">affects not just one, but 10</a>, ranging from BMWs to Toyotas.<p>At the center of it is Takata, a little-known but extremely important auto parts maker.Fri, 24 Oct 2014 23:01:00 +0000Sonari Glinton26352 at http://mtpr.orgNo Quick Fixes For Drivers Affected By Air Bag Recall As Gas Prices Drop, Hybrid Sales Shift Into Low Gearhttp://mtpr.org/post/gas-prices-drop-hybrid-sales-shift-low-gear
The recent drop in gas prices may be good for consumers, but it's not such good news for hybrid car sales.<p>Even before gas prices started to slide, hybrid sales were falling — all while sales of trucks, SUVs and luxury sedans have been on the rise.<p>That relationship between gas prices and sales is "rather remarkable," says John Krafcik, president of the website TrueCar. "During months when gas prices are low, less fuel-efficient cars tend to take a greater share of the market and vice versa.Fri, 17 Oct 2014 22:26:00 +0000Sonari Glinton26084 at http://mtpr.orgAs Gas Prices Drop, Hybrid Sales Shift Into Low GearA Deal Between 'Dollar' Stores Raises The Stakes Against Wal-Marthttp://mtpr.org/post/deal-between-dollar-stores-raises-stakes-against-wal-mart
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=A+Deal+Between+%27Dollar%27+Stores+Raises+The+Stakes+Against+Wal-Mart&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1MTczMTM4MDEyNzM1OTUxMzg5ZDUyMw004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: <p>The world of dollar stores is a world worth billions of dollars. Today, Dollar Tree announced a deal to buy Family Dollar for $8.5 billion. The new company will have 13,000 stores in North America.Mon, 28 Jul 2014 20:11:00 +0000Sonari Glinton22618 at http://mtpr.orgLawmakers Call For GM's Top Lawyer To Step Downhttp://mtpr.org/post/lawmakers-call-gms-top-lawyer-step-down
Transcript <p>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: <p>At a Senate hearing today, there were calls for General Motors top lawyer to step down. Recent media reports have made clear that company lawyers knew faulty ignition switches were causing fatal accidents. Despite that GM blocked internal efforts to issue a recall and they kept information from federal safety regulators. The ignition defect is responsible for at least 13 deaths and will cost GM billions of dollars. NPR's Sonari Glinton has the latest.<p>SONARI GLINTON, BYLINE: Congressional hearings have a sort of rhythm.Thu, 17 Jul 2014 20:27:00 +0000Sonari Glinton22098 at http://mtpr.orgIt's The Year Of The Recall, And It Finds GM Busyhttp://mtpr.org/post/its-year-recall-and-it-finds-gm-busy
Transcript <p>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: <p>From NPR News it's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.<p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>And I'm Robert Siegel. It's the year of recalls in the auto industry, especially for General Motors. This week GM announced another slew of them, bringing its total to 54 recalls this year. Other automakers are also recalling more vehicles, but it's at GM where the pace is so fast, that it's hard to keep track. But NPR's Sonari Glinton is keeping track and he now joins us to talk about how the company is handling all of these recalls.Wed, 02 Jul 2014 20:06:00 +0000Sonari Glinton21391 at http://mtpr.org